75800 miles driving it from my office to grab some breakfast and the CEL came on, lost power, and could hear open exhaust to athmosphere. Limped it back around the block to my office and called for a tow truck. I have a warranty so it's now on it's way to the shop. I think it's a blown exhaust manifold gasket for a cylinder because it was like it was popping as one cylinder fired instead of all cylinders. Is that logical with this car? I think it's a factory header with 4 gaskets right?

 

This perhaps?

 

Perhaps but the exhaust banging sound is the sound of one cylinder being open to atmosphere and not the sound of all 4 cylinders firing to atmosphere. I should know what happened pretty soon.

 

Last Fall I had my factory header just fall in half as well. Different joint, pre cat can ahead of the one pictured.

After getting a used header from Clint w/ Defenders of Speed in CA., I put the 2 next to each other & could see that every weld on my original were faulty. Automated Robotic welds were evenly made but penetration lacked cold welds.

Mike

 

Sure you didn't have a spark plug pop out?

Seems to happen a lit to MINIs....

 

It didn't sound like that when it was running with the hood up sounded like the back of the engine.

 

I was wrong. Turns out it was the #2 plug that blew out. They looked at the threads with a borescope and they are ok. The shop wanted $160 to put new plugs and wires on it. I said I'd be by later to pick it up. My warranty doesn't cover plugs and wires.

 

Good deal, glad it was something simple....

 

It damaged the #2 wire so I got new wires. Also the #2 plug was damaged so I put a new set of NGK iridiums in it also.. I used my craftsman in/lb NM torque wrench to set them to 22nm torque.

It's so nice having my car back.

 

Same thing (plug popped out) happened to me ('05 MCS) 2 years ago. The threads were bad, so the head had to be pulled and new threads made with a permanent insert (from the inside). Cost me lots of shop labor $. Glad it happened close to home.

 

The rule is always check the torque at oil changes!

 

I've posted a question on another forum and I just saw yours. My "check engine light" came on this morning. I'll take it to a mechanic on Monday but till then I'd like to hear what kinds of experiences anyone may have had with this and what was the fix.

I realize after looking around that for every warning light there can be many different codes. Just wanted to know of anyone elses experiences with the CEL. The codes will be read Monday but till then I'm pretty nervous and would like any input.
Thanks